VIEWS AND ARTICLES BY FISHKEEPERS FOR FISHKEEPERS

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1 AUTUMN 2017 COVER PHOTO Les Pearce NEWS, VIEWS AND ARTICLES BY FISHKEEPERS FOR FISHKEEPERS Page 1

2 QUARTERLY BULLETIN AUTUMN 2017 CONTENTS EDITORIAL Page 3 OATA NEEDS YOUR HELP Page 4 FESTIVAL OF FISHKEEPING - News and Information Page 5 KNOW YOUR FISH (Distichodus teugelsi) Page 14 FISHES BY THE SEA Plymouth Fishkeepers Page 15 BERMUDA THREAT Page 17 THE GREEN CORNER Page 19 FISH TRADING LEGISLATION Nathan Hill Page 27 KNOW YOUR FISH (Otocinclus affinis) Dr David Pool Page 33 IMAGINATIVE AQUARIUM IDEAS Rajendra Kumar Page 35 Opinions expressed in any article remain those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by this publication. All material is the copyright of the author, the photographer and/or the FBAS and should be treated as such. Edited, published and produced for the FBAS website by Les Pearce Page 2

3 EDITORIAL Welcome to the Autumn 2017 edition of the Bulletin. There is plenty of news and information on the forthcoming Festival of Fishkeeping, to be held, once again, at: Hounslow Urban Farm Faggs Road Feltham Middlesex TW14 0LZ In The Green Corner, we have news and views on the latest legislation regarding pond and aquarium plants plus Practical Fishkeeping s Nathan Hill sheds light on possible future legislation on the trading of fish which, if and when introduced, will almost certainly affect our hobby in the future. Please, please keep the articles and information coming in. Anything that you think may be of interest to fellow fishkeepers is always welcome. You can contact me or send articles using the details below. A big thank you should go to Dick Mills for his continuing and invaluable help and support. LES PEARCE (FBAS Bulletin Editor). Post to: Les_the_Fish@sky.com 44 Weeks Road, RYDE, Isle of Wight, PO33 2TL Page 3

4 NEEDS YOUR HELP Following a meeting between OATA, DEFRA and representatives of the aquatic hobby, an appeal is being made for information which may prove vital in formulating new attitudes political, business wise and hobby wise that will help to bring together the interests of the three main groups who are involved with the aquatic hobby. Information is everything and OATA have asked the hobby to help them in a census (fish-count?) that will provide an up to date statistical picture of the size of the hobby. It is simply trying to get a size picture of the three main areas of interest coldwater, tropical and marine in the hobby. A simple-to-complete Form is available at: and your participation would be greatly appreciated. PLEASE ASK YOUR SOCIETY S MEMBERS TO TAKE PART. To see what s happening on the legislation front, the following article on the species Channa will give some idea of just one of the complex issues our hobby could be facing: Page 4

5 Hounslow Urban Farm in Feltham will host the 31st Festival of Fishkeeping for the fifth time on the weekend of 7-8 October. Page 5

6 Hounslow Urban Farm, one of the UK s largest community farms, is expert at giving local children a real life experience of a working farm and hosting really fantastic events. So, during the weekend, families will be able to enjoy both the interactive contact with domestic farm animals that the Farm offers, including rare and unusual breeds, as well as the Festival of Fishkeeping all for the cost of standard entry to the Farm! just set your satnav to Faggs Road, Feltham, Middlesex TW14 0LZ. The Festival of Fishkeeping is the UK s biggest display and competition of rare breed, tropical fish and reptiles. It s a unique and fantastic opportunity to get up close to exotic, weird and wonderful fish and reptiles that can t be seen elsewhere, all in one place at one time. You certainly don t have to be nuts about fish to appreciate the splendour of the fish on display, which include Japanese Koi Carp, Discus, Killfish, Jinchu Kai and many more. If the weather is inclement, the undercover, fully-heated environment will ensure comfortable viewing of the very best quality of fish and reptiles in full adult size and prime condition, brought together by fish breeders and hobbyists from around the country. Supporting Companies this year include Rolf C Hagen, Fish Science, Simply Koi, LBA Lisa Bradshaw, Devotedly Discus and those Stingrays will be back along with the fabulous Flowerhorns and new for 2017, a specialist Betta show. In addition to the regular Fish Competitions (see details below), there will be Discus and Cichlid Displays plus Societies information Stands. Activities and events will include the best in family entertainment including children s animal encounters, bouncy castle, bird of prey displays, pig and ferret racing, animal feeding, children s play zones, face painting, art and craft, animal games and competitions. This year will be extra special for the Kids: the Farm has installed Go Carts, Paddleboats, Paddling Pool, Sand Pits and lots more. Page 6

7 This is the last chance for exhibitors to show off their fishes and plants in the FBAS Show season and for the public to be attracted into the hobby by viewing the very best in the aquatic world. SATURDAY 7 th OCTOBER FESTIVAL A.S. OPEN SHOW Schedule online at FBAS Championship Classes: (winners qualify for 2017 Supreme) Cb (Pencils) M (AOS Tropical Egglayers) V (Twin Tailed Goldfish) Diamond Class: (qualifies for 2018 Final) J (Rasboras) Supported by 2016 Best In Show BRITISH OPEN (Fishes gaining Best in Shows from any Open Show in 2017 qualify for this end-ofthe-year Head-to-Head Final shootout) 2016 British Open Winner DIAMOND CLASS FINAL (Relying on the Home Game advantage theory, winners of the Society nominated class have to do it all again in this popular completion Final Round) 2016 Diamond Winner Page 7

8 SUNDAY 8 th OCTOBER SUPREME CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL (This is the BIG ONE! Whichever fish wins, it s Simply the Best. Qualifiers come from successful 2017 Championship Trophy Classes Winners) 2016 Supreme Champion SUPREME PAIRS FINAL (Favourite twosomes Pairs Classes winners qualify) 2016 Champion Pair SUPREME BREEDERS FINAL (Four of a kind, or, Familiarity breeds! Breeders Classes winners qualify) 2016 Champion Breeders Page 8

9 OTHER ATTRACTIONS THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND INCLUDE: DISCUS SALES AND DISPLAY - Supported by Devotedly Discus Some see these magnificent fish as the Rolls Royces of the aquatic world. Would you like to be the Judge to decide the winner from this collection? KOI DISPLAY - Supported by Big is Beautiful so they say. Apart from admiring their beauty, spare a thought on the effort required to get fish into this condition and get them to the Show as well! LJB AQUATICS is pleased to announce we will be attending this year s Festival of Fishkeeping. We will be putting on a big display of some awesome fish that just can t be missed. We are pleased and proud to announce that we will be staging the UK s first ever FLOWERHORN COMPETITION. Finally, there will be fish sales as well. We look forward to seeing you all there. - Lisa Bradshaw FBAS SIAMESE FIGHTER COMPETITION Page 9

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11 We would like to welcome you to the inaugural FBAS Betta Show to be held at the 2017 Festival of Fishkeeping. The show will be held over two days and we respectfully request that entries remain on the bench for the duration of those two days (Saturday 07 and Sunday 08 October). The show bench for the Betta show will be heated from underneath for the duration of the show, including overnight. However, exhibitors may, if they wish, remove their entries from 5.00 pm onwards on Saturday 07 on the condition that they are replaced on the bench no later than am on Sunday 08. Exhibitors are also permitted to temporarily remove their fish from the Betta Show bench on the Saturday should they wish for them to be exhibited in the Festival Open Show. Fish should then be replaced on the Betta Show bench on completion of Open Show judging. LIST OF CLASSES SHORT FINNED MALE CLASSES LONG FINNED MALE CLASSES 1 Male Standard Plakat 5 Male Standard Fighter 2 Male Half Moon Plakat 6 Male Half Moon 3 Male Crown Tail Plakat 7 Male Crowntail 4 AOV Short Finned Male 8 AOV Long Finned Male FEMALE CLASSES GIANT CLASSES 9 Standard Females 13 AV Giant Male 10 Half Moon Females 14 AV Giant Female 11 Crown Tail Females 12 AOV Female OTHER AWARDS Best Male Best Female Best in Show Visit: Betta Sched.pdf For show schedule and further information. Page 11

12 FURNISHED & BREEDERS AQUARIA DISPLAY Presented by Hounslow & D.A.S. Everyone would like a Living Picture in their lounge and who could not want a supply of free home-grown fish? SURPLUS HOME-BRED FISH SALES It s surprising what you can pick up (at bargain prices too!) in this hobbyistssupported feature. To reserve tank-space for your sales (which you must supervise personally), contact Paul Corbett at: Kimbles, Westminster Lane, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 3DP Tel: or FOR FULL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FESTIVAL OF FISHKEEPING PLEASE CONTACT THE FESTIVAL ORGANISER: 8 ACACIA AVENUE, BRENTFORD, MIDDLESEX TW8 8NR Tel: or joenethersell@gmail.com FOOTNOTE: FOR THOSE FISHKEEPERS WISHING TO MAKE A WEEKEND OF IT, WE RECOMMEND RESERVING NEARBY ACCOMMODATION AT: THE TRAVELODGE, Res Centre, High Street, Feltham, Middlesex, TW13 4GU Sat nav postcode: TW13 4GU Tel: Page 12

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14 Green Dwarf Distichodus Distichodus teugelsi The genus Distichodus is usually associated with two characteristics size, and a vegetarian appetite to match. The good news is that this species, seen at a recent Open Show, lacks one of these traits in that it is of modest proportions Fishbase gives a size for it at 5.7 cms, which makes it much more suitable for normal sized tanks. It hails from the central Congo area of Africa it is appreciative of soft, acid water (references state ph 4.2!) so some acclimatisation may be necessary for UK captivity. Like others of its genus, occasional quarrels break out (maybe a bigger tank is useful after all?) and Terry Hewitt s specimen is reported to love the hiding places offered by the plants. Males are smaller than females and looking at the photograph gives the clue as to which Family the fish belongs there s no mistaking the Tetra-shaped (square) dorsal fin of the Characin Group. Keep your eyes open for any unfamiliar fish at Shows, grab a photo of them and we ll feature them here. Page 14

15 The Plymouth Fishkeepers Society was founded in 1948 by a local school teacher placing an advert in the Evening Herald for anyone interested in the aquatic hobby to attend an inaugural meeting to form a Society. From these small beginnings the present Society has grown. The last 69 years have seen many changes in the hobby, and the Society itself has experienced its ups and down in terms of membership. Finding a suitable meeting place at a reasonable cost can be a problem for any Society. In Plymouth, we are fortunate to have a fine meeting place. At present meeting are held on the first and second Wednesdays of each month at the Hyde Park Social Club The first meeting is the more formal, consisting of visual lectures given by either our own Society members or by guest speakers. The second meeting is centred around the table show where members hope to win trophies which are presented at the end of the year. A short talk on an aquatic subject is presented by a member while the fish are being judged this allows time for members to be able to mingle and chat about the hobby. At the end of the evening there is a questions and answers slot for members who may have a fishkeeping problem. At each meeting there is a raffle and auction of fish bred by Society members and other aquatic items. The Society is affiliated to the Federation of British Aquatic Societies, who supplies all the standards for showing and judging the fish and plants. Page 15

16 WIDE RANGING Interests among members are diverse, and there is without doubt someone in the Society who can answer questions covering most aspects of the hobby. There are members that belong to specialist Societies such as the Catfish Association of Great Britain (now the Catfish Study Group) and the British Killifish Association. In addition, members are interested in coldwater fish a home aquarium and garden pond competition is held each year. Aquatic plants are not forgotten, and one of the trophies in our home aquarium competition is for the best plant. Within in the Society there is an active interest in aquatic photography and members can show their photos in an annual competition. BREEDING It goes without saying that in such an active Society there is also keen interest in breeding fish and fresh water shrimps. Again some people specialise in one group, whereas others have a more general interest. A Society magazine is produced four times a year under the title Fishy News and contains a diverse array of articles on aspects of fish and fishkeeping written by members. A monthly newsletter is also produced to cover forthcoming events and table show results. There is a good cross section of members ranging from fairly newcomers to people who have been in the hobby for a long time. No matter why you keep fish, we aim to be able to provide something of interest to you. Why not attend one of our meetings and find out more about us. Just bought your first fish tank? Then Plymouth Fishkeepers Society is the place to be. We are also on Facebook. Visit: Page 16

17 The Breakfast Show has an item called the Travel Show. This one was on Bermuda and showed the devastating effect the Lion Fish is having on the eco system. The Lion Fish does not belong in the Atlantic - they are native is the coral reefs of the Pacific Ocean. But they have been released into the wild by irresponsible aquarium owners. Here in Bermuda they don t have any natural predators so the numbers have grown and they are rapidly destroying the oceans marine life. The problem is that the fish in the Atlantic Ocean don t recognise the Lion Fish as a potential threat so don t try to avoid them. The Bermudan government realises that if something isn t done to protect the eco system from the invasion of Lion Fish it could all be destroyed. Experts think that the only way to control the Lion Fish is to cull them. The expansion of the Lion Fish population, as well as their consumption rate, is having a huge impact on the eco system and the eco system can t evolve fast enough to deal with this new species. Page 17

18 Dr Gretchen Goodbody-Gringley of the Bermuda institute of Ocean Sciences said since we put it there it is our problem and we should try to control it. Conservation groups such as the Reef Environmental Education Foundation regularly organise and sanction fishing trips aimed at reducing the population. Uniquely here in Bermuda the Lion Fish tend to congregate in very deep waters, so it s really hard for fishermen to catch them in large numbers. it is hoped that pioneering technology could provide a more effective answer. They have made a robot that can be controlled from a boat and guided and operated by looking at a computer screen. The way it works is that the robot is positioned so that the Lion Fish is between the two electrodes, you then push a button. This stuns the fish. You then push another button which sucks the fish into the robot s collecting tube. Each robot can scoop up about 15 Lion Fish in a single trip. The final design will operate well below depths that can be reached by divers, down to a thousand feet. Hunting the Lion Fish here may seem to go against the usual ideal of conservation which is aimed at preserving rather than destroying marine wild life, but by controlling the Lion Fish population now, scientists say that will give the underwater eco system a chance to repair evolve, adapt and remain for generations to come. The Bermudan government have started a project called Eat them to beat them. They even had chefs from around the world competing to make the most tastiest Lion Fish meal! This is a long article but it shows what happens when irresponsible aquarists release unwanted fish in to the environment, so don t be tempted to release that unwanted goldfish, koi etc into the local river or lake. Reprinted, with acknowledgement to Something Fishy the Newsletter of Ilford & District Aquarists & Pondkeepers Society. Page 18

19 CLEAR THESE POND PLANTS FROM SHELVES FOR GOOD PAULINE DAVEY Photo of Water Hyacinth Aquacpic Water Garden Solutions. Four popular pond plants must be cleared from shop shelves from today and can no longer be sold to the public. American Skunk Cabbage (Lysichiton americanus). Cabomba (Cabomba caroliniana). Curly Waterweed (Lagarosiphon major) and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) were banned from sale by the EU last year. Retailers were given 12 months to sell their stock. This deadline has now passed so none of these plants can be sold (or ordered in the future) from 3 August 2017 onwards. Page 19

20 OATA is also offering guidance to retailers to help them find suitable alternatives. These are: For Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), a floating pond plant,alternatives include Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) and Water Soldier (Stratiotes aloides) (a British native plant). For Curly Waterweed (sometimes incorrectly labeled Elodea crispa) (Lagarosiphon major), a submerged pond plant, best alternatives are any British native submerged aquatic plants. For Yellow Skunk Cabbage (Lysichiton americanus), a marginal/bog plant, try White Skunk Cabbage (Lysichiton camtschatcensis). For Cabomba caroliniana, a popular aquarium plant, alternatives include Cabomba aquatica. Retailers should always check that their suppliers have correctly named plants to ensure they are not inadvertently selling plants they should not have on display. OATA is also concerned that retailers may be offered Myriophyllum heterophyllum (a North American Water Milfoil) as an alternative submerged pond plant. This plant is known to be causing issues in other parts of Northern Europe and there is already a voluntary ban on selling this plant in Holland. We are therefore calling on the UK industry to refrain from supplying and selling this plant to British pond owners. We do need to take care about selling plants that are causing an issue in Northern Europe where we have similar climate conditions such as Myriophyllum heterophyllum, explained OATA Chief Executive Dominic Whitmee. This is not a big seller in the UK so we d ask the industry to act responsibly and not seek to replace any of the banned plants with one that has been flagged up as causing an issue. We have suggested some alternative plants to help industry replace those that can no longer be sold. (see following article for latest information on this species) Another concern is that retailers may turn to aquarium plant Egeria densa (which can sometimes be sold under the incorrect name Elodea densa). This plant should never be sold for use in ponds because of its potential to become Page 20

21 invasive. This plant should only be sold for aquariums. This is another example of where the industry can act responsibly by not selling this tropical plant for ponds. It is not suitable for use in garden ponds because it tolerates cooler water too readily and it should only be sold for aquariums. MORE POND PLANTS BANNED FROM SALE BY THE EU Elodea nuttallii (Nuttall s waterweed) The European Union has added four more aquatic plants to the banned list of species that can no longer be sold in the UK in the future. Transitional arrangements will be in place to enable the plants to continue to be sold for a year provided contractual arrangements ordering stock in these four plants are put in place before 1 August And the industry is being reminded that all stock of four pond plants banned last year including Water Hyacinth must be cleared from the shelves from 2 August and cannot be sold anymore. The full list of aquatic species that cannot be sold in the UK is available on the OATA website here: Page 21

22 The latest four plants to be banned as part of an update to the Alien Invasive Species Regulation are: Alternanthera philoxeroides (Alligator weed) Elodea nuttallii (Nuttall s waterweed) Gunnera tinctoria (Giant Rhubarb) Myriophyllum heterophyllum (Broadleaf Watermilfoil) These are not bigger sellers in our industry but nevertheless it is yet more aquatic plants being chipped away from what can be sold. And we know the EU is already working on its next list of invasive species and there will be more aquatic plants and ornamental fish being considered for that, said OATA Chief Executive Dominic Whitmee. We would suggest plant growers, wholesalers and retailers read the Defra advice on this and put in an order before 1 August if they want to continue to sell these for the next pond season in And we also need to remind the industry that Eichhornia crassipes, Cabomba caroliniana, Lagarosiphon major and Lysichiton americanus must not be sold from 3 August We continue to make the point to Defra that many of these pond plants do not pose an invasive issue for the UK because they cannot survive our winters so should be allowed back on sale as soon as possible following our exit from the EU. The following four pages contain detailed information of two further nonnative plant species that should no longer be sold and that should be kept with the highest degree of care and responsibility in order to protect our native species and natural environment. They are reproduced by kind permission of the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat (NNSS). Further information can be found at: Page 22

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27 WILL LEGISLATION AFFECT THE WAY HOBBYISTS TRADE FISH? NATHAN HILL Reprinted with permission from Practical Fishkeeping magazine s blog, July 27, 2017 In brief: it depends if you breed and then sell them, and on what happens with proposed legislation changes. If OATA are unsuccessful in getting exceptions for fishkeepers, then a blanket law change may restrict selling of fish without a pet shop licence. If you have a 'gentleman's agreement' with your shop to swap excess stock for store credit or other fish, then no. If you re interested in the details, read on. If you wanted the immediate answer, that was it. Page 27

28 In a nutshell, current UK Government initiatives are looking at addressing the woefully outdated system of pet shop licensing. Amongst the plans is the proposed introduction of a single animal activities licence, to cover four unique areas: dog breeding, cat and dog boarding, selling pets and hiring out horses (for riding). The reason they chose activities as opposed to establishment is a clever one. In this new process, traders from home (bedroom breeders) without established, dedicated premises and who can currently sell without a licence will still be scooped up in a net of licensable activities. Okay, so a good example of the kind of wording that has folks concerned crops up in The review of animal establishments licensing in England, Next steps (February 2017) which states that: This proposal should be seen in the context of the requirement that anyone operating a business selling pets needs a licence irrespective of the number of pets sold. This requirement will apply equally to businesses that: i) breed and also sell pets ii) are third party sellers of pets (those that sell pets that they did not breed) iii) operate from home or online. The requirement also applies in the case of business to business sales as well as sales to the public. I should make it abundantly clear at this point that the wording in the review is under the heading of Breeding and sale of dogs, which starts to make a lot of sense, seeing as there is pressure to bring puppy farming and the proliferation of dog breeders under control. Page 28

29 That isn t our concern here, but notice the wording doesn t state dogs specifically. It states pets. And that means it applies to anyone breeding pets. In this regard, items i and iii concern anyone breeding fish at home and selling them online, at clubs, and so forth. Let s take a step back and look at roughly who is doing what in the hobby. The typical, at-home hobbyist who accidentally or intentionally breeds the occasional species for pleasure, and then exchanges them for a bit of store credit with their local fish shop is almost certainly going to remain untouched. If your guppies keep spawning, and you keep swapping them at your nearby retailer (or with fellow hobbyists) for a few plants or a tub of flake food, you have nothing to worry about. The issue comes about the moment you try selling livestock. For those who breed to sell (those of you with fish houses, for example, often use proceeds from selling fish to sustain your hobbies) then you could have issues. I say could because OATA are proposing possible exclusions, all of which seem reasonable enough. The possible exclusions are: Breeding without the intention of making a profit (by far the trickiest proposal, given how intent can be hard to demonstrate and offers a bolthole for nefarious breeders to slip through and try to argue their cases.) Breeding for educational, conservation and scientific advancement purposes, and needing to sell offspring as a consequence. Keeping for personal enjoyment and selling excess stock assuming OATA can plead for this successfully on aquatic hobbyists behalf, then it seems sensible. Hobby breeders (this is where most of us affected would fall in) who breed for pleasure, show-fish bloodlines, study and so on, and then sell on the excess. Think fish show auctions and you won t be far off. Which of those proposals will be put forward (or whether another comes up in Page 29

30 the interim) remains uncertain for now, but PFK will keep hobbyists posted with advances as and when they are arise. But assuming all or any are successfully argued for on behalf of aquarists, it'll be business as usual for the hobby breeder. Ultimately, it boils down to how you behave as a hobbyist. If you're genuinely shifting the occasional surplus fish at clubs and shows, or to friends, I'm pretty confident that OATA are going to find you an exemption. If you're sat in a bedroom full of breeding tanks and you're hoping to supplement your income via the Internet and the local classified ads, then you're probably slap bang in the catchment that the legislation is looking to regulate. Either way, I want to reiterate that at the current time DO NOT PANIC. Changes will not come in to play until April 2018 at the earliest, and so for now you re doing nothing wrong if you re charging your friend 10 for a bag of excess Danios you ve bred. The feds are not going to arrest you. Page 30

31 Positive-list confusion In other news, you may have seen alarmist posts doing the rounds on social media about growing calls for positive lists as though they are imminent and are going to send shock waves through the English hobby. So that we can put this one to bed, we already have them for our fish. They were enacted in 2014 and you can find more details about that here: fish-you-may-keep-in-england Positive lists are not a new proposal! There are arguments for and against Positive lists, which have been covered at length before, so I ll not go through them again here. The important thing I want to get across is that if you see posts or articles about impending positive lists impacting on the hobby and restricting what we can keep, then I d be inclined to direct you to the list we currently have here: fra. gov.uk/aahm/2014/02/13/non-native-update/ and remind you that the industry (or the hobby) hasn t imploded on itself in the last three and a half years. Invasives encroachment. Something that is of interest currently being bandied around Europe (we re currently still in it, and legislation still affects us) is the number of species being added to the Invasive Species Act of Primarily, this is interested primarily in plants (which is why the likes of Water Hyacinth were restricted from import) but is gradually encroaching across to fish. You may or may not have seen some panic about Ameiurus and Lepomis species of fish being added to this list, but it s worth noting that these fish area restricted under ILFA 2014 anyway. You can't import or sell them, so it's academic. It's also highly unlikely they'll ever be unrestricted, either. Page 31

32 What is of some concern is the proposed inclusion of Channa. Not a particular species, but the entire genus. That would mean that all of our Snakehead species from colourful Channa bleheri through to the stunning Channa sp. fire and ice would be illegal to import and possibly even move around or sell without an exemption. Channa argus, for the records, is currently also restricted under ILFA Again, OATA are working on addressing this issue, and it should be added that the inclusion of Channa as a genus on the Invasive Species Act is still only at a suggestive stage. Still, this does mark a disconcerting shift in interest from plants to fish, and as such PFK will be following developments closely. In summary: Watch this space closely if you breed fish with the intention of selling them, online or at clubs and shows, don t get confused about positive lists for fish, as we already have them, and do pray for Channa, as if they re added to an invasive species list, we could lose them. Page 32

33 Dwarf Otocinclus Otocinclus affinis Brought to you by: Common Name: Dwarf Otocinclus Scientific Name: Otocinclus affinis Origin: Fast flowing streams in South Brazil Maximum size: 5cm Suitability for Aquarium: Excellent algae eater, particularly of troublesome hair or beard algae. A peaceful fish which is best kept in groups of at least 4 fish. Do not keep in aquaria with large or aggressive fish. Aquascaping: Aquarium should be well planted with plenty of shaded areas and hiding places. A good water flow is preferred. A perfect fish for aquascaped aquaria where the focus is on the plants. Water requirements: Clear Page 33

34 water of good quality is important. Temperature is C, ph , GH 2 15 dh, KH 1-8 dh. Avoid pollutants through good filtration and regular water changes Diet: FishScience Mini Algae Wafers. Otocinclus is an algae eater and will continually graze on algae in the aquarium. To be effective in controlling the algae you need to have larger numbers. Occasional treats with pieces of cucumber. Sexual differences: The female is larger and has a more rounded abdomen. Breeding: Difficult. Provide warm (25-27 C), slightly acidic and soft water. Two males to one female and a well planted aquarium. The eggs are laid on vertical leaves or other surfaces. Separating the sexes and conditioning them together with a water change using slightly cooler water will often induce spawning. Comments: A number of different varieties are now available. Images courtesy of Aqualandscape Page 34

35 by Rajendra Kumar G. G., of Bangalore, India Aquarticles Use your imagination! Most aquariums that I have seen are dull and unimaginative. They are sometimes plain glass tanks with a few fish, or slightly better ones with some sand and a few plants - absolutely no imagination, no creativity. Some of my tanks have wall-to-wall plants! Not very interesting to me, but others fancy the forest. I didn't feel like uprooting old tanks and destroying a stable aquatic environment, but I was absolutely bored with plain landscaped planted tanks. I had to try something else, so I decided to experiment a little further. What choice of materials did I have? - rocks, drift or bog wood, pebbles and gravel. Some years ago during a visit to Mangalore (on the west coast of the State of Karnataka in South India) I was fascinated by old walls and buildings of naked non-plastered laterite bricks. Further north I saw coastal areas of Goa with weather-worn laterite boulders that had a heavenly look. This was what I wanted - a dark and natural looking background. I was thinking of thinly sliced laterite bricks for the backgrounds of my small tanks. Most of these bricks are too soft to be thinly sliced however, but I figured that I could make gravel from them easily. Laterite rocks and bricks vary in hardness, some are very soft and are unsuitable for aquarium use, so I chose the harder weathered bricks. Laterite bricks are quite large (6"x 9"x 12") compared to regular bricks. I didn't need many, so I picked a few bricks and had them smashed with a mallet. The Page 35

36 Washed Laterite Gravel bits and powder were sieved and washed to produce decently attractive gravel. After dragging my feet on this for months, one day I decided to paste them to the back glass as an alternative to sliced bricks. I positioned a 2 cubic ft. tank (2'x1'x1') on a table with its open side facing me. I emptied a whole tube of (aquarium suitable) Silicone sealant onto the glass side at the bottom (normally the back). Using a 6"x4" straight-edged piece of plastic as a squeegee, I spread the silicone evenly all over the glass from edge to edge. In hindsight I advise keeping the top one inch clear, to avoid interference with the placement of filters etc. Wash the gravel thoroughly or pieces might drop off the glass later. One 300ml tube of Silicone sealant was more than enough for two square feet of glass. I scooped up the larger gravel and sprinkled it on the silicone until the whole side was covered with a double layer. With the palm of my hand I pressed the gravel down into the silicone until it was firmly anchored. Remember that if the silicone is too thick then it shows between the gravel bits. After drying overnight I set the tank upright and all the excess gravel came off the back glass. The back glass was now a pleasing sight, dark red and mysteriously natural. The remaining smaller bits of laterite gravel I used in the tank as a substrate for the plants. This tank was planted with some bright green plants of the Hygrophila species, Page 36

37 Christmas Moss Growing on the Gravel Final View dark green Anubias nana tied on to driftwood, a few cryptocorynes, and Bolbitis on a laterite rock. Xmas moss (from Loh Kwek Leong AKA KL in Page 37

38 Singapore) was attached to the laterite gravel on the back pane. After a few months the moss adhering to the laterite gravel covered part of the back glass, and the Hygrophila thrived in the laterite gravel and emerged out of the water. I have noticed that the plants uprooted from this tank had thick white and bushy roots. The laterite gravel and the backing had all the desired effects of adding laterite powder to the substrate. What was next? I started a new tank with larger gravel bits on the back glass. Here I used large dark red pebbles and attached them individually to the back glass. I hope that I can get Pebbles Being Glued some Bolbitis to spread. I dream of a dark olive green look with a light green foreground of small Echinodorus! Now my imagination is running wild - how about driftwood slices pasted to the back and sides of the tank? How about gluing whole lengths of waterlogged roots and branches between sides and the back of the tank? How about gluing bits of driftwood to make artistic interiors? Can you make your tank look like it's a 2 cubic foot slice of real life from the mangroves? Finished Back Pane Use your imagination! Page 38

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